


See the Sun

by Keleficent



Series: See the Sun [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bathing/Washing, Bedside Vigils, Brother-Sister Relationships, Caretaking, Crying, Family Fluff, Fear of Death, Gen, Hospitalization, Hostage Situations, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Missing Persons, Protectiveness, Rescue, Sacrifice, Starvation, Swearing, Uncle-Nephew Relationship, Urination, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-07-22 01:43:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7413658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keleficent/pseuds/Keleficent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper makes a terrible sacrifice to save Mabel's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Kidnapping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper and Mabel are kidnapped.

Dipper had gone into the grocery store to buy two Pitt Colas for himself and Mabel. She had waited outside to pet a stray cat. She could never pass a cat without petting it. But when he exited the store, Mabel was nowhere to be seen.

“Mabel?” Dipper looked up and down the street. There was no one around.

Dipper groaned. She was probably hiding so she could pop out from behind something and scare him. It was getting late and Stan didn’t like them out after dark (not without denying it was because he got worried). And ever since Ford came back, they had two Grunkles to worry about them now.

He decided to play along so they could get it over with and go home.

“Oh dear, it appears Mabel is gone. I guess I’ll have to walk down this street alone and hope nobody jumps out and scares me.”

As if on cue, Dipper heard a commotion down one of the alleyways next to the building. He chuckled and walked down the alley.

“I know you’re there, Mabel. We don’t have time for games. We gotta get-”

Dipper froze. He had been right that Mabel was in the alley, but she wasn’t alone. There was a man who had a hand over her mouth and a knife at her neck.

“If you scream, I’ll slit her throat,” said the man.

Mabel shook her head trying tell Dipper to run away and save himself. There was no reason why they should both die. Whether Dipper understood her or not, there was no way he would have listened anyway.

“Okay, I won’t scream. Just let her go.”

“Get in the van.” The man motioned toward the van that Dipper had barely noticed in his shock.

Dipper tried to think of any way to get Mabel and himself out of this. He was told to never cooperate with a kidnapper. He was told to scream and make as much noise as possible to get someone’s attention. But he was never told what to do if said kidnapper held a blade to his sister’s throat. Seeing no other choice, he entered the back of the van.

“See that blindfold?” The man pointed to a black cloth. “Put it on.”

Dipper grabbed the blindfold and tied it around his eyes. Satisfied that the boy won’t try anything, the man turned his attention to the girl.

“I’m going to take my hand off your mouth and put you in with him. If you yell or try to escape, I’ll kill your brother. Understand?”

Mabel nodded. She was placed in the van with Dipper. The man tied a blindfold around her eyes. He used some rope and bound Mabel’s wrists behind her back. He pushed Mabel over to force her to lie down and tied her ankles together. Dipper was then bound in the same manner.

They heard the doors close. They were left blind and immobile. They scooted as close to each other as possible. They tried to hold hands, but the most they could manage was to interlock their pinkies. They took comfort in what little physical contact they could have. Unable to move or see, they were left in the darkness wondering what fate awaited them.

It was hard to know how long they were driving before they finally came to a stop. They heard him come around and open the doors.

“Where are we?” Although Dipper couldn’t see, he knew the man was watching them.

“Just need to get rid of some dead weight.”

Before Dipper could figure out what the meant, Mabel started screaming and was pulled away from him.

“What are you doing? Let go of me! Let go!”

“What are you doing to her?”

“I got plans for you,” said the man. “But I don’t need her anymore.”

“No…” Dipper knew he didn’t mean he was going to let her go. “No, please don’t!”

“You two can scream all you want. No one’s gonna hear you.”


	2. The Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stan and Ford search for the missing kids.

After it got dark, Stan was wondering why the kids weren’t back yet.

After one hour, Stan planned to ground those two for a week.

After two hours, Stan called everybody in town to see if they’ve seen the kids so he could ground them for a month.

After three hours, Stan drove around and look for them swearing not to ground them if they just came back to him safe.

After four hours, Stan might have tried to call the national guard if Ford wasn’t there to talk him out of it.

After five hours, the town made plans to form a search party first thing in the morning since the woods were too dangerous to try to navigate at night.

The elder Pines twins had no intention of waiting. Danger never stopped them before. Especially when it came to protecting their kids.

“Dipper!”

“Mabel!”

“Dipper!”

“Mabel!”

Every time their calls were punctuated by silence felt like the pit in Stan’s stomach was growing.

“We’ll find them, Stanley.” Ford was trying to reassure him despite being just as worried. “They’re strong kids. They can survive anything.”

His brother had a point. Those two weren’t ordinary kids. They were clever enough to get out of any trouble they got it. Much like their uncles he supposed.

But Stan was an old man who had seen plenty of trouble. He knew how fragile life was and that it could be snuffed out by one misstep. He feared that his niece and nephew finally got themselves into something they couldn’t get out of.

“Those kids are my responsibility,” said Stan. “And I lost them.”

“You can’t give up, Stanley. There’s still hope-”

A sickening odor filled their noses. It wreaked of death. They shined their flashlights to the source of the of the horrible smell.

It was a body, a headless body so badly mutilated that it was impossible to identify. But there was one thing about the body that could be established: it was small. The body of a child.

Ford turned away as bile rose up in his throat. He was not squeamish by any means. The nightmarish sight itself is not what made him sick. It was the thought that this body may be…no…probably was one of the two children he loved most in the world.

Stan wanted to follow his brother’s example and turn away to puke his guts out. Instead, he pushed himself closer to inspect the body. He had to know. He shined the flashlight for any distinguishing features praying that none of those features will belong Dipper or Mabel.

“Is it one of them?” Ford asked after he was confident he had no more stomach contents to evacuate.

“I don’t know.”

“So it might not be.”

Stan didn’t answer, but they were both thinking the same thing: who else could it be?

Ford pulled out a device that looked to Stan like one of those handheld computer games Dipper liked. Ford pressed a button and a small needle came out which he used to prick his finger. He uneasily did the same thing to the mangled body. They both practically held their breath as the screen gave the message: “Analyzing.”

The device beeped and shows the results. Stan couldn’t understand it. It was just a bunch of lines to him. But it meant something to Ford as he was studying the results very carefully.

“It’s not them.” Ford finally let himself exhale.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, this poor soul, whoever he or she was, is not biologically related to me.”

Stan leaned up against a tree to steady himself. He can’t take much more of this.

Their relief was short-lived. Somebody murdered this child. And whoever did was probably the reason their niece and nephew were missing. This realization brought a new sense of urgency to their search. They had to find the kids before they suffered the same cruel fate.


	3. The Rape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The torture begins.

“No, don’t hurt her, please! I’ll do whatever you want!” Dipper knew what the man wanted. The thought was horrifying to him, but with Mabel’s life on the line, he had no choice. “Whatever you want to do, as long as you don’t hurt my sister, I won’t fight.”

The man stopped pulling Mabel away and she subsequently stopped screaming. Since they were still blindfolded, they couldn’t see what the man was thinking.

“You do everything I want,” the man finally said. “And I’ll let your sister live.”

“I will, I promise.”

“You’re lucky, girlie. Your brother just saved your life.” The man put Mabel back down. He flicked open a switchblade and cut the ropes binding their ankles. He pulled them both out of the van and put them on their feet. “Walk.”

“Can you take off our blindfolds so we can see?” Mabel asked.

“I’ll guide you. I won’t let you bump into any trees. _Trust_ me.” The sadistic sarcasm dripped from the word, trust.

Dipper and Mabel were pushed in the direction the man led them. After a few feet, the twigs beneath feet changed to a solid floor indicating they had been taken into a building.

Their blindfolds were finally removed, but they stayed emerged in the darkness that was only punctuated by moonlight coming from the door. The “building” they were in was a one-room, run-down shack that made the Mystery Shack look like a five-star hotel. There were no windows. But the worst part of this dark chamber was the giant metal cage on the far end of the room.

“Like your new home, kiddies?” The man cut ropes around their wrists. He tried to pry the siblings apart so he can put Mabel in the cage.

“What are you doing?” Mabel refused to let go of her brother.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“What are you gonna do to him?”

“Anything I want.”

“No, I won’t let you take him!” Mabel swatted his hand off Dipper and took a protective stance in front of him.

“And I won’t keep you alive if you’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

“Mabel, please, do what he says.” Dipper tried to push his sister aside.

“No, I won’t let-” Mabel was knocked over by a hard slap across her face. She was grabbed by the hair and locked into the cage.

As Dipper was taken outside, he listened in agony as his sister banged on the cage calling his name. The man slammed the door shut and Mabel’s voice was immediately silenced. He made sure the kids couldn't be heard from inside.

Dipper was shaking now. He knew what was coming next. And he knew it was going to hurt.

“Take off your clothes.”

Dipper stood frozen not sure if he could go through with this now that he was being faced with allowing this man to have his way with him.

“Fine, I’ll do it for you.” The man grabbed his shirt. Dipper reflexively pulled away. “You promised to do what I said. Am I gonna have to kill the girl after all?”

“No.” Dipper reluctantly lifted his arms so the man could pull his shirt over his head. He even took off his shoes and socks. He tried to be brave and not cry as his shorts and underwear were removed as well.

He cursed the moonlight for shining on his naked body for this pervert to gawk at. He walked around Dipper, sizing him up the entire time. He knelt behind Dipper and put his cold hands on his bare shoulders. Dipper shuddered at his touch.

“You’re gonna do everything I want, right, boy?” He could feel the man’s hot breath on his neck. “You’re gonna be a good little boy. Cause if you’re bad, I’ll punish your sister.”

Dipper gave a shaky nod. He heard the man’s pants unzipping and dropping to the ground. He couldn’t help but cry in fear at what was about to happen to him. But his tears weren’t the only thing he failed to hold in.

He felt a warm sensation between his thighs. He looked down and saw a stream of yellow liquid running down his legs and soaking the leaves beneath his feet. He had wet himself.

The man, of course, noticed Dipper urinating himself. “Aw, you nervous?” he mocked.

Dipper could hardly feel embarrassed at the man laughing at him for peeing all over himself when he was about to do something much more humiliating, and painful, to Dipper.

The man pushed Dipper’s shoulders to bend him over until he was on his hands and knees. He thrust forward and Dipper’s world exploded in pain. White-hot agony blinded his senses to everything but the fact that the man was inside him.

“Please stop. It hurts.”

“It wouldn’t hurt so much if you weren’t so tense.”

“Please…”

“Shut up.”

Dipper said no more. He knew it was pointless. He dug into the dirt beneath his fingers. He looked skyward as though begging the heavens to save him from this torture. One of the things he loved about Gravity Falls was all the stars he could see. He loved the stars. He tried to identify constellations desperate for any distraction from the pain. But his tears blurred the stars beyond recognition.

Mabel’s face was buried in her knees when she heard the door open. The man had brought her brother back. “Dipper, are you okay?” He didn’t say anything. Mabel noticed he was walking funny. “What did you do to him?”

“Nothing he didn’t let me do.” The man patted Dipper’s head in a gesture that from anyone else would have been considered one of affection. But this was a cruel taunt to remind Dipper that he was nothing more than a toy to be played with now. He pushed Dipper into the cage. “I gotta thank you, little girl, it’s much more fun when they don’t fight it.”

Mabel wanted to throw up at the thought of Dipper obeying this man’s whims because of her.

“Dipper?” Mabel went to her brother’s side after the man left. The darkness kept her from seeing his face, but she didn’t need to know he was in distress. “Dipper, you’re scaring me. Please say something.”

Dipper couldn’t speak. He never wanted to speak again. He never wanted to say aloud what just happened to him. Thankfully, he was with Mabel. He didn’t need to say anything for her to understand.

“Oh, Dipper.” Mabel wrapped her arms around her brother and he sobbed into her shoulder. She didn’t know what she could possibly say that could heal whatever Dipper went through. All she could do was hold him tight and shush his cries.

“I’m so sorry, Dipper. This is all my fault.”

“Don’t…” Dipper finally spoke. “Don’t, Mabel. It was my choice, and I’d do it again.”

“I don’t want you to do it again. If he takes you outside again, just run away.”

“He’ll kill you if I do.”

“I can’t stand to see him hurt you.”

“I don’t care what he does to me as long as you’re safe.”

“Do you really think I’m safe? Do you really think he’s just gonna let us go?”

Dipper didn’t answer because he knew she was right.

“Please, Dipper, do everything you can to get away even if you have to leave me behind.”

“Could you leave me behind?”

Mabel gave no answer, but they both knew what it was.


	4. The Execution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper accepts his fate.

Since no light came into their cell, they had no idea how much time was passing. They had tried to find a way out, but there was no way to escape. After spending hours fumbling in the dark for a way out, without being given food or water, they simply didn’t have the energy to continue. The siblings huddled to together for what little warmth they could in their freezing cell. The only interruption of their solitude was the man coming to take Dipper away.

Every time her brother was brought back to Mabel, more battered and broken than before, she, despite her own deteriorating health, tried her best to provide him whatever comfort she could. There was no bed, so she would sit up against the wall and let Dipper rest his head on her lap. She would stroke his hair until he cried himself to sleep.

The door opened once more. They both knew what that meant. Mabel heard Dipper whimper and squeezed his hand.

“Please don’t take him. You’ve already hurt him so bad.” Once again, Mabel’s pleas fell on deaf ears. He came in and had to pull Dipper out of the cage since he couldn’t walk on his own anymore. She was too weak to defend him. “Please take me. Whatever you do to him, you can do it to me instead.”

“Sorry, sugar, but you’re not my type.” With that, the man left with Dipper.

When they got outside, Dipper tried to get into the usual position, but even kneeling was too much for his famished and injured body now.

“Get up.” The man kicked Dipper’s side.

“I’m trying.”

“You want your sister to die?”

“No, please. I’m trying.” Dipper tried to push himself up, but his arms, even thinner and weaker than before, gave out on him. “I’m trying, I swear. Don’t hurt my sister, please.”

Dipper was grabbed under his arms and dragged away without getting the chance to put his clothes back on.

“Where are we going?”

“You’re dying. You’re no good to me anymore.”

“Just feed us and I can-”

“I’m not wasting my food on you brats. It’s time to cut my losses.”

Dipper looked in the direction he was being taken. There in the moonlight, almost like a spotlight on a stage, shined a tree stump. Sticking out of said tree stump was an axe.

“No…no, please. I don’t wanna die.”

“No one ever does, kid.”

“NO, PLEASE! DON’T KILL ME! I DON’T WANNA DIE! PLEASE!” Dipper was surprised how loud he could scream given how dry his throat was. He dug his feet in the dirt in a vain attempt to avoid his death, but it didn’t slow them down even a little. “NO! NO! PLEASE!”

“Come on, kid. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” The man spoke with the tone of an annoyed teacher dealing with a misbehaving student.

Dipper’s voice gave out and his pleas were reduced to pitiful sobs. “Please don’t do this. Don't kill me. I don’t wanna die. Please, I don’t wanna die.”

“Hey, listen to me.” The man grabbed Dipper’s hair and spoke into his ear. “You’re going to die. You might as well accept it. Struggling will only make it worse for you.”

“Since when do you care about sparing me pain?” For a moment, Dipper’s bitterness rose above his fear.

“I don’t care. It’s just easier if you don’t move. Stay still and I’ll make it quick.”

Dipper’s instinct to survive was outweighed by his fear of the pain he would feel being mercilessly hacked to death. He was too weak to fight or run away. How could he possibly escape?

It was over. He was going to die. No matter what he did, he was going to die. Why should he fight for his life only to suffer a slow, agonizing death? Why not accept his fate and make it easier on himself? Why not let it be done with quickly and, hopefully, painlessly? He didn’t want more pain. He can’t take it anymore.

“Just get it over with.” Dipper was surprised how empty and flat his voice sounded.

He dragged an unresisting Dipper over to the stump. As he got closer to the axe, he noticed there was dried blood on it. He wondered what number he would be on this guy’s list of victims. That’s all Dipper was to him, a number. It occurred to him that the man about to kill him probably didn’t even know what his name was. Then again, Dipper didn’t know the man’s name either. He supposed it didn’t matter.

As Dipper’s heart pounded in his ears, he thought of his family: his mom, his dad…

“My sister?”

The man said nothing.

“Please, even if I have to die, at least let her go.”

The man still ignored him. It was hopeless. If he won’t spare Dipper’s life, why would he spare Mabel’s? There was nothing Dipper could do to protect her now. He can’t beg for her life, but maybe he can beg for her to have a quick death. “Just make it quick for her. Can you at least do that?”

“If she doesn’t squirm, sure,” the man said with no sympathy in his voice.

Dipper pictured how Mabel’s final moments would be. He imagined Mabel asking where Dipper was when the man came to get her. He imagined the terror she’ll feel when she sees his headless body and realizes that she was next to die. He imagined her screaming and crying as she's taken like a lamb to the slaughter. What if she was too scared to let him kill her quickly and she suffered in her last moments?

He wished they could have at least died together. It would have made it less scary. They could have held hands and kept each other calm as they faced death together. He won’t even get the chance to say goodbye. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her and how sorry he was he couldn’t save her.

Dipper’s head was laid on the stump. The axe was inches from his face. He could see his reflection in the metal: a shell of his former self. His face was pale and sunken in. There were dark circles under his fearful eyes.

The man picked up the axe. Dipper turned his head to the side so his killer wouldn’t be the last thing he ever sees. Instead, he looked out into the woods he had so loved to explore. He thought about how beautiful it looked when beams of sunlight shined through the canopy. He was never going to see the sun again.

He stretched out his small neck as much as possible. He wanted to give a clear shot of his neck. If his head was going to be chopped off, he wanted to make sure it only took one swing. He held a tight grip around the roots of the stump and fought to keep his trembling body still so the axe didn’t miss and hurt him. He inhaled through his nose in an attempt to control his rapid breathing.

He felt the cold steel blade weighing down on his neck. The man was aiming now. Dipper swallowed hard.

The axe was raised high above his head.

_This is it._

Dipper took a deep breath, his final breath. With one last look at the world, he closed his eyes and waited to die.


	5. The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids are finally found.

“DROP THE AXE!”

Dipper flinched expecting to feel the killing blow until he realized he wasn’t dead. He barely noticed the man pull him to his feet and hold the axe to his throat. He was too shocked at the voice he had just heard. It was a voice he thought he would never hear again.

“Grunkle Ford…”

“Let the boy go,” Ford growled as he trained his gun on the man.

“Back off or I’ll cut off his fucking head!”

“Help me, Grunkle Ford.” Dipper didn’t want to die now that he was so close to being saved.

Ford softened at his nephew’s plea. “You’ll be okay, Dipper, I promise,” Ford reassured before once more glaring at his captor. “Release him or I will kill you.”

“I’ll kill him! I swear to God! I’ll kill him-” The man was cut off with a loud thud and fell forward unconscious.

Dipper, who wasn't strong enough to stand on his own, also collapsed to the ground. He looked up to see who had just snuck up behind his captor and knocked him out. It was another person he thought he would never see again.

“Grunkle Stan…” 

Everything happened so fast. Dipper spent god knows how many days suffering abuse and starvation losing hope that he would see the light of day again. When that small hope was taken away, he had resigned himself to death. Now, his would-be murderer had been dispatched, and Dipper was free from his grasp.

Dipper was gently turned around. A hand cradled the back of his head. The concerned faces of his uncles came into view. For a moment, he couldn’t decide if they were really there or if it was just a wishful trick of his dying mind.

Ford used his coat to cover Dipper’s naked body. The feeling of warmth and shelter it gave Dipper confirmed to him that yes, this was all real. His family was here. They saved him. He was going home.

Dipper lost it. He cried harder than he did when he was violated. He cried harder than when he thought he was going to die. He cried harder than he ever had in his whole life.

Two pairs of strong arms closed ranks around Dipper. He couldn’t return the hug because his hands were too busy gripping Ford’s coat to keep it in place around his shoulders, so he simply buried his face into Stan’s chest.

He felt Ford kissing the top of his head while he whispered soothing words in his ear. “Shh, shh, shh, it's alright, Dipper. Shh, everything’s going to be alright. You’re safe. Hush now.”

“Shh, it’s okay, Dipper. It’s okay, baby. We’re here. We got you, kid. Shh, we got you.” Stan scooped him up and held him in his arms. The way the crying boy was cocooned in Ford’s coat reminded Stan of when he first held Dipper as a newborn. Somehow, Dipper seemed even more fragile and helpless now than he did back then.

Ford pulled out his flask. “Have some water, Dipper.”

Just as Dipper wondered if he would be able to hold the flask, he was saved the trouble when Ford brought it to his lips. The lukewarm water cooled his burning throat. He sucked it down greedily until his trachea protested and spilled excess water all over himself which Stan gently wiped away. He wanted to drink more, but he should save some for…

“Mabel…we have to go get her. She’s in the…” Dipper didn’t know what to call it. Shack? Prison? Hellhole?

“Lead us to her,” said Ford.

Dipper guided them back to Mabel still being carried in Stan’s arms. Seeing that familiar door filled him with dread. “No, I don’t wanna go back.”

“It’s okay, Dipper. We can wait out here. You never have to go in there again.” Stan positioned himself to block Dipper’s view of the door.

“I’ll go get her, Dipper. You can rest now.” Ford smooth his hand over Dipper’s bangs before going to retrieve his niece.

\---

Mabel was leaning up against the wall. It seemed like it was taking longer than usual for Dipper to come back.

She heard the door open and was surprised when a flashlight shined on her. He never used a flashlight before. It burned her eyes since they had grown accustomed to the never-ending darkness. 

“Mabel?”

She thought her hunger was making her hallucinate because that voice…

“Mabel, it’s me. It’s Ford.” Ford was disgusted by the sight of his free-spirited niece locked up in a cage like an animal. He opened the cage and crawled over to her.

“Grunkle Ford?” Mabel still couldn’t see. She reached up to touch his face. She could feel the stubble that tickled her whenever he gave her a kiss. “It is you.”

“I’m here, Mabel. You’re safe now.” Ford brushed her unkempt hair off her face. He gave her the other half of the water that Dipper was considerate enough to leave for her. She drank it with the same fervor as her brother.

“Come here, sweetheart.” Ford picked her up and held her as he crawled back out of the cage.

“Grunkle Ford, Dipper-”

“It’s okay, Mabel, we’ve got him. He’s waiting outside with Stan. He’s safe. You both are.”  

“I wanna see him.” It wasn’t that Mabel didn’t believe him, but she needed to see Dipper for herself.

Ford took her outside and showed her Dipper resting in Stan’s arms. “Dipper…”

“Mabel…” Dipper was happy to be able to see her face, gaunt and disheveled as it was, for the first time in days.

Mabel smiled relieved that her brother was safe. But she frowned as another concern came into her mind. “The man…where is he?”

They had been so happy to be reunited they forgot about the unconscious predator a few yards away.

“We have to take him into town.” Ford hated the idea of having to walk alongside the monster that tormented his niece and nephew, but there was no way they would give him any chance to get away.

“Ford, can you carry the kids?”

“Yes, I think so. Mabel, can you stay on my back?”

“Yeah.”

Ford picked Mabel up and put her on his back so Stan could give him Dipper to hold in his arms. Ford realized that the man will need to be restrained. He took out a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. “Here, use this to tie his hands.”

Stan raised his eyebrow before accepting the cuffs. “Do you always carry handcuffs on you?”

“Never hurts to be prepared.”

Stan went to the man and handcuffed his hands behind his back. Once he was restrained, Stan slapped him awake and roughly pulled him to his feet. “Get up, dirtbag. You’ve got a date with the cops. Now, walk.”

As the five of them walked towards town, Stan noticed the man was trying to steal glances behind him. “Don’t even think about looking at them.”

“I’m not looking at them _._ I don’t care about the girl. I only let her live so her brother would be my good little pet.”

Dipper averted his eyes from his former captor by pressing his face into his uncle’s chest. Ford tried to cover the boy’s ears in a vain attempt to keep Dipper from hearing.

“Don’t talk either. Just shut up and look straight ahead,” growled Stan.

“Fine, I won’t look at him. But I’ll always remember the fun we had.”

“I’ll knock your head so hard you won’t remember how to breathe.”

“Is that how you’ll get rid the boy’s memories? Will you beat him until he forgets how hard he got when I fucked him?”

Dipper quivered with shame as he remembered his body betraying him.

Stan slammed him against the tree. “One more word…you say one more word, I swear to god-”

“You’ll do what, old man?”

“I’ll make you regret ever touching a hair on my nephew-”

“Oh, he doesn’t have hair down there yet.”

“You son of a bitch!” Stan socked him in the jaw and felt satisfaction when he saw blood come out his nose.

“You really love your nephew. Are you just mad cause I got to sample him before you?”

Stan unleashed a barrage of hits in the man’s face which became bloodier with each hit.

“Stanley, stop! You’ll kill him!” Ford said.

“So?”

“Grunkle Stan, please…” Dipper was mortified to have his family hear the horrific details of the past few days. But no matter how much this man hurt him, Dipper didn’t have it in his heart to sanction his death. “I don’t want him dead. I want him to go to jail. I want him to pay for what he did. Please, don’t kill him.”

“Alright…alright.” Stan dropped him. “Only for you, kid.”

“See? He does like me. What we had was special.”

It took all of Stan’s restraint to not immediately break his promise to Dipper.

“Stanley, why don’t you carry the kids? I’ll take him.”

Stan agreed it might be better to let his more level-headed brother deal will this guy. Ford transferred the kids over to him.

“Why don’t you go ahead? Put some distance between him and the kids.”

“Are you sure, Grunkle Ford?” Mabel asked.

“I can handle it, Mabel. I’ll be fine.” Ford gave her a reassuring smile.

Once his family had gotten a considerable distance away, Ford turned to the man.

“You should have just let him kill me.” The man spat out blood from his mouth.

“I’m sure you would rather have my brother kill you now than face life in prison as a child molester. But I wasn’t going to let my brother end your torment so easily.”

“How did you two even find us?”

“We’ve been searching the woods day and night for those kids. We heard Dipper screaming.” The sound of his nephew begging for his life still resonated in Ford’s mind. He remembered his heart pounding as he and Stan ran towards the sound praying they wouldn’t be too late. He couldn’t forget how sad and frightened Dipper looked when he believed he was about to die.

“You’re going to pay dearly for what you’ve done.” Ford pulled out his gun.

“I thought you weren’t going to kill me.”

“I’m not.” Ford took off his leather belt and tied across the man’s mouth. “Bite down on this.”

The man gave a muffled, “Why?”

“Usually, it’s so you don’t bite your own tongue off, but I honestly wouldn’t care if you did. This is just so the kids don’t hear you scream.” Before he could answer, Ford took aim and fired his gun.

Ford was right. The kids didn’t hear him scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave reviews for Ford shooting off a child rapist's dick.


	6. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stan and Ford take care of their injured niece and nephew.

When they arrived at the hospital, Dipper was separated from his sister and placed in an exam room. He was anxious to be reunited with Mabel, but he took some solace knowing Stan was with her. He was assured that they would be put in the same hospital room soon, but the police wanted to speak to him alone first.

Ford passed the time by telling him about his kidnapper’s fate.

“You shot him?” Dipper asked.

“Like I told the officers, he came at me. I was defending myself.” Ford winked. “Don’t worry, he’s still alive.”

“Where did you shoot him?”

“Let’s just say my aim was little…low.”

“Oh.” Considering he used that part of his body to hurt him, Dipper didn’t feel any sympathy.

There was a knock at the door. Dipper expected it to be a uniformed officer coming to question him for the second time, but instead, it was a woman in a lab coat carrying some medical equipment.

“Hello, Dipper, I’m Dr. Greenberg.” She extended her hand to Ford. “And you are?”

“Stanford Pines, his uncle.” Ford shook her hand.

“Did you come to ask me more questions?” Dipper already gave his statement to the police and didn’t feel like reliving his ordeal anymore.

“I’m not here for a statement. I’m a forensic scientist. I collect evidence for the police.”

Dipper could already tell where this was going. The police had asked him not to clean up until they could speak to him, and now he knew why. “You need to collect evidence off me.”

“What I’m asking of you is completely voluntary. I won’t pressure you or force you to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“But you won’t get your evidence,” said Dipper.

“Your peace of mind takes priority over that,” said Dr. Greenberg. “We can build a strong case against the assailant without-”

“I’ll do it.” Dipper wanted to make sure the police had any and all evidence they needed to put this guy away.

“Are you sure, Dipper?” Ford asked.

“I’m sure.”

“Your uncle can stay with you if you like,” said Dr. Greenberg.

“I, um…”

“It’s up to you, Dipper,” said Ford.

Dipper decided that his need for Ford’s emotional support outweighed his self-consciousness. “Can you stay, Grunkle Ford?”

“Of course I will.”

Dr. Greenberg went over the entire process to Dipper. He listened but wished they could just get on with it before he lost his nerve.

“We can go as slow as you want, we can take breaks, or we can stop altogether. All you have to do is say the word. Do you understand everything I’ve told you, Dipper?” He nodded. “Alright, I need you to turn around on your stomach. I want you to lay down with your knees under you as close to your chest as possible.”

Dipper was assisted by Ford as he got into the position that was all too similar to the position he had been forced to be in so many times. He felt his hospital gown slide down his exposed back. 

“Remember, Dipper, we can stop anytime you want,” said Dr. Greenberg. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Ready as he’ll ever be.

The second her gloved hands touched him, Dipper yelped and lurched away. Dr. Greenberg immediately retracted her hands. “Dipper, it’s alright. We can stop.”

Ford put his hand on Dipper’s shoulders. “It’s okay if you can’t do this. You don’t have to do this, Dipper.”

“No…no, I can do this.” Dipper returned to the proper position more steadfast than he was before. “I can do this.”

Dipper held firm this time as Dr. Greenberg proceeded with the exam. If he could stay still so a man could hurt him, he could stay still for a doctor trying to help him.

Still, he was unable to hide his discomfort from Ford.

“Look at me, Dipper. Keep your eyes on me, okay?” Ford took his nephew’s hand, letting Dipper squeeze it tight.

Even though Dr. Greenberg was being as gentle as possible, it didn’t stop the minor stinging when she went over his wounds nor did it stop it from feeling invasive. He kept his eyes locked on Ford: his rock who was here to remind him that he was in no danger. He held Dipper’s hand until the exam was finished.

“All done. You did great, Dipper. The nurse will be back to take you to your room, okay?” Dr. Greenberg gave him a sympathetic smile before exiting the exam room.

Just as Dr. Greenberg promised, the nurse came with a wheelchair to take Dipper to the hospital room. When he was wheeled in, he found Stan sitting next to Mabel sleeping in her bed with an IV in her arm.

“Sorry, kid, she tried to stay awake until you got here.”

“Mm…no... still awake,” Mabel said in a groggy voice as she tried to open her eyes.

“Can I see my sister first? Just for a second?” The kind nurse agreed and wheeled Dipper next to his sister. “Hey, Mabel. How are you feeling?”

“Better now that you’re here. What about you? Are you okay?”

Dipper would be lying if he said he was. “I will be.”

She was trying to stay awake and support her brother, but Dipper could see she was struggling to keep her eyes open. “I know how tired you are, Mabel. You should go to sleep.”

“You sure?” Mabel didn’t want to sleep until she was 100% sure her brother was alright.

“Positive. Just go to sleep, okay?” Dipper tried to get up from his chair but couldn’t quite reach her. Stan grabbed Dipper around his waist and helped hoist him up. Once Dipper was close enough to Mabel, he gave her a kiss on her forehead. She reciprocated with a kiss on his cheek before falling back asleep.

Dipper plopped back down onto the wheelchair. The small act of brotherly affection robbed him of any energy he had left, but it was something he needed to do.

Dipper was laid onto his bed. The mattress felt so soft and comfortable after being so long without a bed. An IV was put into his arm to give him much-needed nutrients.

The nurse informed him he could now have his bath if he wanted. Dipper wanted to get clean but was tentative about letting another stranger touch him.

The experienced nurse caught on to her patient’s uneasiness. “I don’t have to do it. Your family can wash you if you like.”

Dipper wasn't crazy about Stan and Ford bathing him either, but he would still prefer someone he knew and trusted to do this. Blushing slightly, he looked down and twiddled his fingers. “Would…would you guys mind?”

“Not at all, kid,” said Stan.

The nurse handed Stan and Ford two sponges and a bucket of clean water. She gave instructions on how to bathe him before leaving to give them privacy.

Ford put his hand under Dipper’s chin to raise his head. “Close your eyes, Dipper.”

Dipper did as his uncle told him. He heard the sponge dip in the water before feeling it being gently scrubbed across his face and neck.  

They tried to remove Dipper’s hospital gown to clean the rest of his body, but he involuntarily clasped his arms around himself to keep the gown from coming off.

“Dipper, it’s okay, relax,” Stan said softly.

“I’m sorry.” Why was Dipper so nervous? It was just his uncles now. He trusted them. Why was he afraid to let them touch him?

“Don’t apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong,” said Ford.

“I’m sor-”

“Shh…” Ford gently cupped his face. “Don't be afraid, Dipper.”

Dipper let go and allowed them to slip the gown off him. He avoided eye contact with his uncles, self-conscious of his nakedness, a new feeling of shame for his body.

He put his arms to his side and stared up at the ceiling. Though still tense, he was able to keep still as the warm sponges glided across his skin. Their careful and gentle movements as they cleaned his soiled body allowed him to relax a little. It was a nice feeling.

“We’re gonna turn you around now, bud, okay?” Stan said.

Dipper sighed and nodded. Their hands slid under him and turned him around. This was the part Dipper had been looking forward to the least: his uncles finally seeing the damage.

Anger and repulsion pumped through Stan’s veins at the tears, abrasions, dried blood, and, most sickening of all, seminal fluid on his nephew. At that moment, he would have loved nothing more than to get another shot at the creep who dared to do this to his boy. He exchanged a look with Ford who looked like he was barely suppressing his rage as well. They both knew they had to stay calm for the sake of their anxious nephew.

Dipper heard their breaths hitch. He could only imagine how awful it must be if it looked half as bad as it hurt.

He felt the sponges wipe across his back. He grew more nervous as he felt the sponges work their way downward, to where Dipper had been hurt and violated.

Dipper whimpered and clenched his hands into his pillow sheet when they reached his bottom.

“Shh, Dipper, shh. We’re not gonna hurt you, kid. Nobody’s gonna hurt you.” Stan put a comforting hand on Dipper's back to calm him. His uncle’s skin felt so warm compared to his abuser’s icy touch.

Dipper took a deep breath before closing his eyes and once again, surrendered control of his body. Except now, it would be to someone who wanted to heal him instead of hurt him. He had nothing to fear. He was safe. He would not be hurt again.

He loosened his grip on his sheets. He laid his head down letting his cheek rest against the soft pillow. He kept his body relaxed and still as his uncles cleaned his wounds slowly and carefully to avoid frightening him.

He felt like a huge weight was taken off his shoulders as they washed away the last trace of his rapist from his body.

Once they finished the bath, they turned Dipper around and redressed him before covering him with a blanket. He relished the warmth he had been deprived of in that freezing cell.

Tears sprang to Dipper’s eyes, something his uncles noticed.

“What’s wrong, Dipper? Are you in pain?” Ford asked.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just…I dreamed so many times that Mabel and I were back home safe. I’m scared that I’m dreaming now too. That I’ll wake up in that dark cage with Mabel, he’ll be there…and he’ll take me again.”

“I assure you, Dipper, Stan and I are real, and we’re going to take good care of you.”

“That bastard will never touch you again. We’re here to protect you now,” said Stan.

Their assurances ebbed Dipper’s fears, but it was replaced by another unpleasant feeling. Even though every speck of bodily fluids had been wiped clean from him, he still felt filthy in a different way. It would take more than soap and water to make that feeling go away.

“What do you think they’ll say about me? What if everybody sees me different?” Dipper was afraid his friends, his family, and everyone he knew would think of him as damaged, broken, and unclean. Because that’s exactly how he was feeling about himself now.

“You wanna know what I think of you now?” Stan put his hand under Dipper’s chin. “I used to think that you were a wimpy boy who needed to be toughened up.”

“Stanley!” Ford scolded his brother’s tactlessness.

“But _now_ …” Stan emphasized the “now” to shut Ford up. “Now, I see how wrong I was. Now, I see what kind of boy…what kind of _man_ …you are. You see your sister over there? She wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. A real man does whatever he has to protect the people he loves. And you’re more of a man than I’ll ever be.”

Dipper’s tears now fell freely down his cheeks touched by his uncle’s words. Stan cradled his face and used his thumb to wipe Dipper's tears.

“Dipper,” Ford wrapped his fingers around Dipper's small hand. “I know you like to think of me as a hero, but I’ve never in my life done anything half as courageous as what you’ve done. If it weren’t for you, I would have lost my niece. That makes you my hero.”  

“Thank you.” Dipper’s voice was soft and raw. “Thank you so much.”

“We’re only telling the truth, kiddo.” Stan smoothed his hand through his hair.

"Get some rest, Dipper.” Ford gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

As Dipper settled to go to sleep, he noticed sunlight trying to sneak past the window blinds. He was tempted to ask them to open the window. He hadn’t seen sunlight in so long. But the bright light might wake up Mabel.

Dipper decided it was alright; he could wait another day. Right now, he needed rest. He looked at the two old men sitting on either side of him: their guardians here to watch over him and his sister to make sure no harm came to them as they slept.

Dipper drifted off knowing he’ll be kept safe until he could see the sun again.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave reviews.


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